Means for lubricating leaf springs



May 22, i923. H

J. l. RICHEY MEANS FOR LUBRICATING LEAF SPRINGS Filed Nov. 18 1920 Patented May 22, i323.

haatte en farce.

JAMES I. RICHEY, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

MEANS FOR LUBRICATING LEAF SPRINGS;

Application tiled November 18, 1920. Serial No. 424,832.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES l. RICHEY, a citizen of the United States and resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Lubricating Leaf Springs, of which the following 1s a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specitication.

The present invention relates to the provision of a suitable housing wherein lubricant may be contained for a leaf spring, and has particulary reference to the making of certain improvements over the device described and claimed in my Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,352,915.

In order that leaf springs may give satisfactory and ecient performance at all times, it is necessary that the same be 'properly lubricated. ln my Letters Patent above mentioned, I have described a flexible housing for a leaf spring in which provision is made for the maintenance of a supply of lubricant around the spring. rIhe principal object of the present invention is to further perfect the housingl as set forth in said Letters Patent by t e extension of the end sections of the housings so that the same will embrace the ends of the spring, thereby better providing against leakage of the lubricant from the housing as well as including the shackle bolts in the system of lubrication provided for the spring.

A further object of the invention is to improve the middle section of the housing as described in said Letters Patent so that the same will embrace the spring clips, and also provide suitable spaces for the retention of lubricant for the middle portion of the spring.

' Further objects of the `invention will appear from the following detailed description thereof:

ln the drawings:

Fi 1 is a side elevation of aspring providedr with a housing constructed in accordance with this invention, portions of the housing being broken away to illustrate features of construction. A

Fig. 2 is an' elevation similar to Fig. 1,

of the invention, as applied to a spring in inverted position.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the middle section of the housing.

Fig. 5 is a, perspective of one of the end sections of thel housing.

Fig. 6 is a fractional longitudinal section of the invention as disclosed in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a perspective of a ease box to be used in connection with t e middle sect-ion of the housing. Fig.v 8 is a perspective of the lining.

The numeral 1 indicates a portion of the frame of a vehicle, and 2 one of the leaf springs thereoit.` The spring 2 is secured to the frame memberv 1 bv means of the usual U-boltsor clips'3.

The numeral 4 indicates the middle section of a spring housing constructed in 1 accordance with this invention. As clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the middle portion of section v4 of thel housing is wid7 ened as shown at 5 so as to embrace th'e spring clips 3. The ends of the middle section 4 are provided with perforations 6.

When applied to an inverted spring, as illustra-ted inr Fig. 2, the bottom of section 4 of the housing is also provided with perforations to permit the passage of the ends of the clips 3. i

Arranged to be secured to the middle section 4 of the housing are end sections 7, same being provided with slots 8 for rivets or bolts 9, which also extend through the perforations 6 of the middle section; the end sections are thus pivotally and slidably secured to the' middle section. The end sections 7 are shaped, as shown in Fig. 5, so as to embrace the bottom and sides of the spring, and are provided with flanges 10 which extend outwardly from the upper edges thereof throughout the greater portion of their lengths.

The flanges 10 are provided with perforations 11 for bolts or rivets by means of which cover plates 12 are securedv to the end sections. The sections 7 are provided at their ends with cupped extensions 13 arranged to embrace the spring bolt eyes at the ends of the spring. Beyond the outer ends of the flanges 10 of the sections 7, said sections are provided with ears or lugs 14 within which rollers 15 are mounted. The rollers 15 are arranged to bear against the upper side of the spring near its ends.

Inter-posed between the housing comprising the middle section 4 and end sections 7 and the spring is a felt or other suitable lining 16,` the same being illustrated in perspective in Fig. 8 of the drawings. The top lining 17 is secured between the cover plates 12 and the anges 10. The lining 16 is cuppedto embrace the ends of the spring.

Arranged to be inserted-inside the widened portions 5 of the middle section 4 at the sides of the spring 2 between clips 3 are grease boxes 18, which are arrangedto contain a renewable sup ly of lubricant for the middle portion oi) the spring. Preferably at the points of highest elevation onthe housin are lubricant cups 19.

rom the foregomg description the nature and value of the present invention will be apparent. When provided with a housing constructed in accordance with this inven- -tion it will be seen that a spring may be kept at all times thoroughly lubricated. By reason of the slotted connection between the middle and end sections, provision is made for the necessary pivotal and longitudinal movements of the housing during the spring iexions.` The cupped extensions of the housing. provide means whereby the spring bolts, by means of which Vthe springs are secured to the shackles, may be at all times immersed in.I a suitable lubricant. The rollers 15, which bear upon the upper sides of the spring near theends, cause the housing durin its movements to ride freely, and thus quletly and without unnecessary wear to accommodate itself toy the spring movements. As will be obvious, the lining 16 serves to prevent leakage, and thi end is further attained by the cupped e ensions 13 of the housing which retain the lubricant that wouldotherwis'e be lost, and this vis used as above set forth.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by l Letters Patent is z.

1. A device of the character specified, comprising in combination with a leaf spring, a

housing for said spring, said housing comspring. f

2. f device ofthe character specled, comprising in combination with alaaf spring, a houslng for said spring, said housing comrising av middle section, said middle section iiaving a widened portion intermediate its length, end sections ivotally secured to said middle section, said end sections having cupped extensions arranged to embrace the sprlng bolt-eyes, cover plates for said end sections, and lubricant boxes arranged to be inserted into the widened portion of said middle section at opposite sides of the leave a space between the spring and housing andy between said clips, end sections 'pivot-- ally secured to said middlel section, cover plates for said end sections, and llubricant vboxes arranged to be inserted in the space fp rmed by said middle section between said c ips.

4. 'A device of the character specified, comprising in combination with a leaf spring and springmclips for securing the same to a vehicle me, a housing for said spring, saidhousing comprising a middle section, said middle section having a widened portion arranged to embrace said clips so as to leave `a space between the spring and housing and between said clips, end sections pivotally secured to said middle section, said end sections having cupped extensions arranged to embrace the spring bolt-eyes, cover plates for said end sections, and 1u- 'bricant boxes arranged to be inserted in the space formed by said middle section between said clips. i

5, A device of the character specified, comprising in combination with a leaf spring, a housing for said spring, said housing comprising a middle section, end sections pivotally secured topsaid middle section, rollers mounted near the outer ends of said end sections and arranged to bear upon the upper side of the spring, and cover plates, for said end section'sri 6. A device of the character specified comprisin inA combination with a lea spring an s ring cli s forsecuring the same to a vehicle ame, a ousing for said spring, said housing comprising a middle section, said middle section having a widened portion arranged to embrace said clipsso as to leave a space between the .sprin and housing and between saidv cli s, end sections pivotally secured to' said middlle section, rollers mounted near'the outer ends of said endv sections and arranged to bear upon the upper side of:-

7. A device of the character specified, com' prising in combination with a leaf spring sal ' said middle sections having a widened porn tion arranged to embrace said clips so as to eave a space be'ween ehe spring and housing 'and beween said clips` end sections pivotally secured to said middle section, said end sectlons having cupped extensions arranged to embrace the spring bolt-eyes, rollers mounted near the outer ends of said end sections and arranged to bear upon the upper side of the spring, cover plates for said end sections, and lubricant boxes arranged to be inserted in the space formed by said middle section between said dips.

JAMES RICHEY. 

